Maps and Legends (episode)
Picard begins investigating the mystery of Dahj as well as what her very existence means to the Federation. Without Starfleet's support, Picard is left leaning on others for help, including Dr. Agnes Jurati and an estranged former colleague, Raffi Musiker. Meanwhile, hidden enemies are also interested in where Picard's search for the truth about Dahj will lead. Summary Prologue At the Utopia Planitia Shipyards when the synths revolted, it is First Contact Day and a skeleton crew is working during the holiday. A full collection of artificial lifeforms is in storage; they each have a designation with a letter and number branded on their foreheads. Each has the same yellow gold skin and golden eyes as Data did. The synth F8 interacts with the skeleton crew, having them banter back and forth with him; they try telling jokes and, as with Data, the synth has no understanding of humor. It seems that these artificial lifeforms are far less advanced than Data was as they have no ability to interact with the people on any manageable level, leaving an awkwardness to the people working there. As they continue, one of the workers comments that F8 creeps her out and another admonishes her for it, with the retort being that the synths are not people and it does not matter if she says things that offend him. Later in the day as the crew are having their lunch, F8 appears to either malfunction or be taken over by an unknown source; he begins tampering with the consoles and compromises other synthetics and lowering the shields for the base. When a crew member attempts to stop him, F8 breaks the man's neck without hesitating. What appears to be the planetary defense grid is activated and turns towards the planet. One of the station's crew calls for security, explaining the situation. As she is doing this, F8 walks to the side of the room, and picks up a welder, using it to murder the entire staff and the security officers who arrive to respond. His job done, as the planetary defenses fire, F8 raises the welder to his head, terminating himself. Act One Back at Château Picard, Jean-Luc Picard and his housekeepers Laris and Zhaban review the security footage at Starfleet Headquarters showing the blast that injured Picard and killed Dahj Asha. The computer tells them that there was no trace of Dahj at the scene. Zhaban suggests that the Tal Shiar might have erased Dahj's presence, but Laris believes the Zhat Vash, a secretive facade for the Tal Shiar, is more likely to have done so. The housekeepers, former members of the Tal Shiar, explain to Picard that the Zhat Vash is known as a myth for scaremongering, but is actually an organization established thousands of years ago to keep secrets. Laris reveals that her Tal Shiar handler had told her the Zhat Vash holds a deep loathing and fear of artificial lifeforms. Laris justifies the existence of the Zhat Vash, pointing to the absence of androids, artificial intelligence, and cybernetics studies in the Romulan culture. Picard and Laris travel to the home of Dahj, where her boyfriend Caler was murdered. Laris takes out a device used to conduct molecular reconstruction, a Romulan forensics technique. Picard reminds her that the technique is illegal in the Federation and its results are dubious. Undeterred, Laris tells Picard that is what the Romulans wish the Federation to believe. She holds the device in her hand and sweeps it across the room, emitting a thin blue ray. When the ray reaches the couch, a reconstruction shows Dahj and Caler conversing moments before Caler's death. But the reconstruction terminates moments later, immediately prior to Caler's death; Laris finds the termination extraordinary and suspects that the Zhat Vash has wiped the particle residuals and saturated the room with antileptons. Seeing the Zhat Vash's ability to remove forensic traces, Picard begins to believe the Zhat Vash exists. To find the whereabouts of Soji Asha, Dahj's identical twin sister, Laris and Picard scour Dahj's digital assistant for records indicating that Dahj had contacted her sister. They find that even though the data still exists, the index sorting the data is deleted. Laris then taps into the heuristics that the computer has built to quickly identify its owner, which may contain tags created when the digital assistant misidentifies Soji for Dahj. Incoming records cannot show where Soji is located, but it indicates that she is not on Earth. Narek and Soji talk about living in the wreckage of the Borg cube that she calls the . The Artifact is severed from the Borg Collective and thus is vulnerable. Narek complains that the ship itself is not very Romulan, with the exceptions of the owners and the extraction of Borg technology, which creates a sizable profit. They both joke that Sonji was sent by their enemies and since she slept with Narek, he became an accessory to the fact; now she has to be silenced. They both share an intimate moment before the alarm goes off and it's time for both to get going to work. Sonji asks if it's allowed for the two of them to be sleeping together, and Narek says definitely not and asks in Romulan if she can keep a secret, which she can. Back on Earth, Picard is visited by Moritz Benayoun, an old friend from his time on the ; Picard says it's been a very long time. Picard offers some tea and mentions that his office will be forwarding the medical information to Starfleet once he's seen the results. Mortiz stays silent and suggests to the retired admiral that he should get something stronger. Act Two Mortiz says his medical scan came at or above Starfleet minimums at every category and he was amazed that even at his age he is in excellent health with one exception: an abnormality in the porialtal lobe in his brain, which Picard was aware that it could be a problem when he became aware of it. When asked what it could be, Mortiz became blunt that while there are a number of prognosis and treatment options, they all end the same way. Picard asks Mortiz to certify him for interstellar travel with Starfleet now more than ever knowing. Mortiz questions why he wants to go back out there knowing this condition but says if he's lucky, the trouble he's going to get into will kill him first. Arriving at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, Picard enters the building and overlooks a hologram of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), before it changes to a familiar ship: the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D). He meets a young ensign at the desk and mentions he has a meeting with the CNC. The ensign gives him a visitor badge and mentions to the admiral it's nice to see him around again. He enters the office where he meets Fleet Admiral Kirsten Clancy. Clancy questions why he's here which Picard is looking for Bruce Maddox and mentions that he's using neurons from the late Lieutenant-Commander Data to create a new organic synthetic, which Clancy confirms that is exactly what he's doing, and says it's gets better when Picard mentions Romulan involvement, and says that if there's a chance that whatever is left of Data is somewhere out there, the Federation owes it to him to investigate. While Picard concedes that they both have not seen eye-to-eye, he requests that she reinstates him to Starfleet and given command of a small reconnaissance vessel with a minimal crew for one mission only. He also suggests if his rank of admiral is too conspicuous, then he will accept a demotion to captain. Right away, Clancy blasts Picard's suggestion, calling it "sheer fucking hubris", and mentions the interview, which Picard concedes that it was a mistake to say that in public. The admiral reminds Picard that the Romulans were their enemies and even before the attack on Mars, there were 14 species within the Federation that were threatening to cut ties with them so they were left with saving the Romulans and allowing the Federation to implode or letting the Romulans to their fate. Picard says that it's not up to the Federation to decide which species lives or dies, but Clancy says they do, as thousands of species within the Federation rely on one another for unity and cohesion. She also adds that they didn't have enough ships so they had to make choices, but she mentions that Picard didn't like those orders. Immediately Picard gets up from his chair and states he was standing up for what the Federation represents, what it should still represent. Clancy immediately takes offence of his lecturing and Picard warns that she can ignore him at her cost and that she's in peril but all she sees according to her are pitiable delusions from a once-great man desperate to matter and tell him in no uncertain terms to go home, and denies his request to be reinstated. Act Three Memorable quotes "Yo, F8. You get into any trouble last night?" "Hell yeah." "Hell yeah? Doing what?" "... Nothing." "Hell yeah." "Hell yeah." :- Shipyard Worker and F8 "What is Zhat Vash?" "A Tal Shiar myth. It's a kind of boogeyman they use to frighten new recruits, and children." :- Picard and Zhaban "Zhat Vash is a term sometimes used to refer to the dead; the only reliable keepers of secrets." "Ominous." "No, fitting, because that's the sole purpose of the Zhat Vash. To keep a secret so profound and terrible, just learning it can break a person's mind." :- Zhaban, Picard, and Laris "Romulan methods of forensic molecular reconstruction are illegal in the Federation." "Really? I had no idea." "They're also unreliable, and the results are dubious at best." "Ah yes, that's exactly what we wanted you to think." :- Picard and Laris "Is everything Romulans do a secret?" "Ooh, I'm not at liberty to divulge that." "Is your name actually Narek?" "One of them." "So is there anything you can tell me about yourself?" "Yes. I'm a very... private person." : - Soji Asha and Narek "Commander Data was not only my colleague, he was my dear friend and he gave his life, body, and soul to the Federation." :- Jean-Luc Picard, to Kirsten Clancy "The sheer fucking hubris. You think you can just waltz back in here and be entrusted with taking men and women into space?" :- Kirsten Clancy, to Jean-Luc Picard "The Romulans were our enemies, and we tried to help them for as long as we could, but even before the synthetics attacked Mars, fourteen species within the Federation said 'Cut the Romulans loose, or we'll pull out.' It was a choice between allowing the Federation to implode, or letting the Romulans go." "The Federation does not get to decide if a species lives or dies." "Yes we do. We ''absolutely do. Thousands of other species depend upon us for unity, for cohesion. We didn't have enough ships left. We had to make choices, but the great Captain Picard didn't like his orders." "''I was standing up for the Federation for what it represents! For what it should ''STILL represent!" "How dare you lecture me!" :- Clancy and Picard "This is no longer your house, Jean-Luc, so do what you're good at: go home. Request denied." :- Kirsten Clancy, denying Picard's request for reinstatement "When a cube undergoes submatrix collapse, the Collective immediately severs its link to the afflicted population. As far as the Collective are concerned, this is just a graveyard." "And what does that make us?" "The same as you find in any graveyard. Some have come to feed on the dead, some are ghosts, and a few, like you, Dr. Asha, have pinned their hopes on resurrection." :- Narek and Soji Asha "I never really cared for science fiction. I guess… I just didn't get it." : - Picard, seeing Dr. Jurati reading Isaac Asimov's The Complete Robot "Why do you call them 'the Nameless'? Their species had a name, we just don't know what it was." "Nameless is a name." :- Soji Asha and the Romulan Artifact Worker "What?! Have you gone mad?! Is it dementia?" "I beg your pardon?" "Sorry, but you're not a stupid man, so when I hear you say a stupid idea, I have to ask for other explanations." :- Laris and Picard "You can't do it alone. You need help, you need protection. You need a crew. Riker, Worf, La Forge." "No. I thought about it, and they would do it in a heartbeat, and that's precisely why I cannot ask them. They would put themselves at risk out of loyalty to me, and I do not want to have to go through that again." "Okay, you need someone who hates you, and has nothing to lose." "I've already made the call." :- Zhaban and Picard "You can turn around and call that cab to take you right back where you came from." "Just want to talk." "There isn't anything you could say that I want to hear." "Secret Romulan assassins are operating on Earth." "... Is that the '86?" :- Raffi Musiker and Picard Background information Production * : Premiere airdate on CBS All Access Visual effects * The replicator used in the work room at Utopia Planitia is a modified and de-branded FlashForge Dreamer 3D printer. The nozzle and heater block are visible; with the bed replaced, this would be a fully functional "replicator". Reception and aftermath * Continuity * This episode features the first appearance of a Starfleet commodore in the 24th century. * Chronologically, this episode marks the first appearance of a Borg drone since . * This episode confirms that the events seen in occurred fourteen years earlier in 2385. This means that that the events of occur in 2399. * Despite being credited in the episode, Douglas Tait didn't appear in the episode itself, but appeared in previous footage from . * Both Laris and Zhaban are revealed to have been members of the Tal Shiar. Laris still apparently retains equipment from that previous role. Exactly why two former agents of an enemy power should be allowed to reside with a retired admiral of Starfleet remains unrevealed. * Although Laris says that Romulans do not study cybernetics, the episode mentions Romulan cyberneticists interested in Data. * Doctor Moritz Benayoun served as a medical officer on the under Picard's command. * Picard is revealed to be suffering from one of several possible forms of neurological disorder, indicated by an problem in his parietal lobe. In , a future Picard, retired to his vineyard, is said to be suffering from Irumodic Syndrome. While that was an alternate future with aspects that have not appeared in "prime" continuity (Picard retired as an admiral, not an ambassador, for example), it appears he will not escape that fate. * Dr. Jurati says that people in the synthetic humanoid field tend to get a little "secret-planny", which was certainly true of Noonian Soong. Links and references Starring * Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard * Alison Pill as Agnes Jurati * Isa Briones as Soji Asha and Dahj Asha * Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker ;And * Harry Treadaway as Narek Guest starring * David Paymer as Moritz Benayoun * Jamie McShane as Zhaban * Tamlyn Tomita as Commodore Oh * Orla Brady as Laris * David Carzell as Dahj's Boyfriend * Wendy Davis as Dr. Kabath * Chelsea Harris as Naáshala Kunamadéstifee * Peyton List as Narissa Rizzo * Ann Magnuson as Admiral Kirsten Clancy * Marti Matulis as Checkpoint supervisor Co-starring * Chaka Desilva as Burley Fuelie * Alex Diehl as F8, F7, F5 * Kate Fugley as Kvetchy Fuelie * Harrison Grant as Ensign * Anthony R. Jones as Pincus * Paul Keeley as Philosophical Fuelie * Jason Liles as Noiro * Meghan Lewis as Computer Voice * Brit Manor as Tough Fuelie * Zachary James Rukavina as Nameless Borg * Douglas Tait as a Tellarite Uncredited co-stars * Unknown actors as ** Two female Andorians References 2385; 2396; A500; admiral; aircar; alpha shift; amen; Andorian; android; appetite; apron; arm implant; ; antilepton; ; ; bean bag; beta shift; binoculars; blackboxing; board game; boson-enriched nanopolymer; Borg Artifact Research Institute; Borg Collective; Borg cube; Borg drone; Borg reclamation project; brown; cab; cake; Calyx; candle; captain (rank); cascade failure; Central; certificate for interstellar service; Château Picard (location); (wine); chess; circulatory system; Class C shuttlecraft; colorful metaphor; commander in chief (CNC); commodore; communicator; ; conference room; ; Data; Daystrom Institute; death; death squad; deflector shield; dementia; digital asistant; director; disruptor; doctor; dream; dreamcatcher; drone (technology); duty log; duty shift; Earl Grey tea; emergency evacuation protocol; ensign; Federation; Federation orbital weapon platform; ; ; fireforest; First Contact Day; forensics; forensic molecular reconstruction; ; ghost; globe; Gorn Hegemony; grade transcript; gradient badge; grape; graveyard; Gray Zone; Greater Boston; green tea; Gurdy; hazard protocol; hermit; Hermit of La Barre; heuristic; holo-communicator; hologram; house call; hubris; IDIC, isonucleic residue; Kir'Shara; Klingon Empire; La Barre; ; lantaz; loss of appetite; lounge lizard; ; maintenance regulator; mannequin; maven; medscan; metabolism; milk; mood swing; mothball; nest; neuron; news holo; ocular processing core; omnipotence; ops cycle; orbital defense system; PADD; paper; parietal lobe; particle residuum; patient 8923/3; pen; pinot; primary reactor control sector; recreational area; reconnaissance ship; regenestasis; Regulus III; Regulus III Science Academy (R3SA); replicator; residency; rescue armada; resurrection; ; Romulan; Romulan ale; Romulan Free State; Romulan language; Romulan Reclamation Site; Romulan transport; Romulan workbee; safe zone; San Francisco; science fiction; Sector 3; secret police; security alert; security badge; security grid; security training; shell; shift break; shift change; skeleton; skeleton crew; space pineapple; spittlebug; Starfleet; Starfleet Headquarters; Starfleet uniform; ; stick; submatrix collapse; subspace relay; suicide; supervisor; surgical mask; synth; synthetic labor unit; Synthetic Personnel; Tal Shiar; teapot; Tellarite; teratogenic coolant; tertiary mandible implant; titanium; tri-hy station (tri-hy station A19); Trill; Trill Polytech; twin; Twinings; undercover; unnamed; Una amino matrix; undercover; Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards; voltage; Vulcan; Vulcan bells; wakak; wineyard; Worf; ; Zhat Vash External link * |next= }} de: Karten und Legenden es: Maps and Legends Category:PIC episodes